The invention relates to improvements in apparatus for measuring a plurality of force components, and particularly such force components which are based on forces of a flowing medium which act on an object of measurement. The object of measurement is supported on an object carrier which is mounted in a frictionless bearing system, the object carrier being guided in a pivotally rotationally horizontal and vertically mobile fashion and being held in each of these directions by at least one force measuring device.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,752, an apparatus for measuring several force components is known which uses a bearing system for the object carrier consisting of three guide arrangements. Between these three guide arrangements, hydrostatic bearings are provided which permit a movement of the object carrier in all directions. Since the object carrier and the guide arrangements are supported by force measuring devices, all force components of the forces acting on the object of measurement can be detected and ascertained.
An object of the present invention consists in both improving such an apparatus for the measurement of several force components with respect to the measuring accuracy as well as in simplifying the apparatus with respect to the structural arrangement.
This object is achieved in that the support for the object carrier is constructed in the form of a cylinder which is hydrostatically guided in a bearing system about the vertical or Z-axis so as to be rotationally and longitudinally mobile. The cylinder is connected to a rotary drive as well as a rotational angle measuring device. With this arrangement is provided a high degree of measuring accuracy and a particularly compact construction of the measuring apparatus is accomplished which in addition is more simple and less expensive than the construction of apparatus heretofore available provided for the measurement of several force components.
In accordance with a feature of the invention, a rotary drive is provided for a cylinder support which is connected via a torque arm with a force measuring device. This arrangement permits measurement of forces of moments acting on the torque arm which can be measured particularly accurately.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved overall structural arrangement for a force measuring device which is capable of measuring forces in all directions acting on a carrier for a device which is subject to bearing fluid forces such as that used for measurement of structures in wind tunnels such as aircraft models, components thereof, motor vehicles, building constructions and the like.
Other objects and advantages, and equivalent structures which are intended to be covered herein will become more apparent with the teaching of the principles of the present invention in the disclosure of the preferred embodiment in the specification, claims and drawings in which: